Heracles
Heracles (or Herakles) was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Mythology Childhood Heracles who was born Alcaeus was not a normal child, even as a baby. One day, he and his brother, Iphicles were put to sleep, Hera sent two poisonous snakes to kill Heracles (though there is a less accepted theory that his step-father Amphitryon sent them in order to find out which if either was his son). That evening the snakes came into the room where Iphicles & Heracles slept. Alcmene was awakened by screams from the children's the room. Alcemene woke Amphitryon who promptly grabbed his sword and shield. Amphitryon and Alcemene rushed in and found Iphicles cowering in the corner crying while Heracles was gleefully shaking the dead and limp bodies of the snakes which Heracles had managed to strangle to death in the time that it had taken Amphitryon to grab a sword & shield and rush to the nursery. Adolecence The Daughters of Thespius Adulthood Since birth, Heracles was hunted by Hera's fury. Her revenge came to a climax after Heracles' marriage. One day, Hera made Heracles go into a blind frenzy, inflicting chaos on all those around him. But those people were his wife and children. After recovering from the rage, he was shocked to find his family dead at his feet. The people around could not bear the knowledge of Heracles act and told him. Crying for his loved ones, and calling himself a murderer, Theseus king of Athens came forth from the crowd, offered the demigod his hand and told to come with him to Athens. At first, Heracles refused to touch the hand, since according to the Greek belief, a man who touches the blood of a murdered one is also responsible for the act. After Theseus insisted, Heracles agreed. At Athens, Heracles sought out the oracle, which told Heracles that if he wishes to be pure again, he must punish himself. Heracles agreed, and turned to his uncle, Eurystheus, who was a cruel, insidious man. Eurystheus took the offer and gave Heracles what was later known as The Twelve Labors. Second Marriage Heracles was married to Deianeira. Long after their marriage, one day the centaur Nessus offer ed to ferry them across a wide river that they had to cross. Nessus set off with Deianeira first, but tried to abduct her. When Heracles realized the centaur's real intention, Heracles chased after him and shot him with an arrow which was poisoned with Hydra's blood. Before he died, Nessus told Deianeira to take some of his blood and semen and treasured it, since it was a very powerful medicine and: if she ever thought Heracles was being unfaithful, the centaur told her, the mixture would prevent him from betraying him. Deianeira kept the vial of blood and semen. Many years after that incident she heard rumors that Heracles had fallen in love with another woman. She smeared some of the mixture on a robe and sent it to Heracles by a servant named Leechas. When doing so, some of the mixture was spilled on the floor and when the sun rays fell on it, it begun to burn. Because of this Deianeira begun to suspect Nessus's advice and decided to send another servant to fetch Leechas back before he could hand over the soaked robe to Heracles. She was too late. Heracles has already put on the robe and when he did so the blood still poisoned from the same arrow used by Hercules, burnt into his flesh. When he jumped into a nearby river in hope of extinguishing the fire, it only made it worse. When he tried to rip off the robe from his body his organs were also ripped off with it. Furiously, Heracles caught Leechas and tossed him into the sea. After that he told his friend Philoctetis to build him a pyre on the mountain Oata. He was burnt to death on the pyre. Before dying, Heracles offered his bow and arrows as a token of gratitude to Philoctetis. His father Zeus then turned him into a god. Deianeira, after hearing what she had caused, committed suicide. After his death, Heracles was brought to Mt. Olympus and made a god (God of Physical Strength). At this point Hera finally overcame her jealousy and offered Heracles her daughter Hebe's hand in marriage. Relatives Children: *Akelus with Malis, a slave of Queen Omphale) *Aekhmagoras with Philo (daughter of Alkimedon) *Agamedas (with unknown woman) *Agathyrsus (with the monster Ekhidna) *Agelaus (with Queen Omphale the Queen of Lydia) *Agylleus (with an unknown consort) *Alexiares (with Herakles' third wife Hebe goddess of youth) *Alopius (with Antiope a daughter of King Thespius) *Amathes (with unknown woman who is also the mother of Boeus of Bretius and Brettus) *Amathous (with an unknown consort) *Amnestrius (with Bone a daughter of King Thespius) *Aniketos (with Herakles' third wife Hebe goddess of youth) *Antiades (with Aglaeia a daughter of King Thespius) *Antileon (with Prokris a daughter of King Thespius) *Antimakhus (with Nikippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Antiokhus (with Anthaeia daughter of King Thespius) *Antiokhus (with Meda daughter of Phylus) *Antiphus (with Laothoe a daughter of King Thespius) *Arkhedikus (with Eurypyle a daughter of King Thespius) *Arkhimakhus (with Patro a daughter of King Thespius) *Astromus (with Stratonike a daughter of King Thespius) *Astyanax (with Epilais a daughter of King Thespius) *Astybies (with Kalametis a daughter of King Thespius) *Aventinus by Rhea *Azon (with an unknown consort) *Barge (with Bargases) *Bokolus (with Marse a daughter of King Thespius) *Boeus (with unknown woman who is also the mother of Bretius, Brettus and Amathes) *Bretius (with unknown woman, who is also the mother of Brettus, Boeus and Amathes) *Brettus (with unknown woman, who is also the mother of Bretius, Boeus and Amathes) *Buleus (with Elakhaeia a daughter of King Thespius) *Celtus (with Celtine daughter of Bretannus king of the Celts) *Deikoon (with Herakles' first wife Megara a daughter of King Kreon of Thebes) *Dexamenus (with an unknown consort) *Dynastes (with Erato a daughter of King Thespius) *Ekhephron (with Psophis a daughter of Xanthus or Eryx) *Entelades (with Menippis a daughter of King Thespius) *Erasippus (with Lysippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Eratus (with Dynaste) *Euklea-who would become goddess of good repute (with Myrto daughter of Menoeteus) *Eumedes (with Lyse a daughter of King Thespius) *Eurykapys (with Klytippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Euryopes (with Terpsikrate a daughter of King Thespius) *Eurypyles (with Eubote a daughter of King Thespius) *Eurythrus (with Exole a daughter of King Thespius) *Everus (with Parthenope daughter of Stymphalus) *Glenos (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) *Gelon (with Khania, a nymph) *Gelonus (with The monster Ekhidna) *Halokrates (with Olympusa a daughter of King Thespius) *Hippeus (with Prokris a daughter of King Thespius) *Hippodamus (with Anthippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Hippozygus (with Hippokrate a daughter of King Thespius) *Homolippus (with Xanthis a daughter of King Thespius) *Hyllus (with with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) *Hyllus (with Melite a naiad) *Iobes (with Kerthe a daughter of King Thespius) *Kadmillus (with a nymph named Kabeira) *Kapylus (with Hippo a daughter of King Thespius) *Keleustinor (with Iphis a daughter of King Thespius) *Khromis (with an unknown consort) *Kleolaus (with Argele a daughter of King Thespius) *Kleodaees (with one of Queen Omphale's slave girls) *Kreon (with Argele a daughter of King Thespius) *Kreontiades (with Herakles' first wife Megara a daughter of King Kreon of Thebes) *Ktesippus (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) *Ktesippus (with Astydameia, daughter of Ormenius) *Kyrnus (with an unknown consort) *Kings of India (with Pandela and Indian Princess) *Laomedon (with Meline a daughter of King Thespius) *Laomenes (with Oreia a daughter of King Thespius) *Latinus (with Palantho of Hyperborea) *Leukippus (with Eurytelle a daughter of King Thespius) *Leukites (with an unknown consort) *Leukoneus (with Aeskhreis a daughter of King Thespius) *Lykurgus (with Toxikrace a daughter of King Thespius) *Lynkaeus (with Tiphyse a daughter of King Thespius) *Makaria (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) - Makareia was Herakles' only mortal daughter *Maleus (with Queen Omphale Queen of Lydia) *Manto (with an unknown consort) *Mentor (with Asopis a daughter of King Thespius) *Nephus (with Praxitheia a daughter of King Thespius) *Nikodromus (with Nike a daughter of King Thespius) *Oneites (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) *Oenesippus (with Khryseis) *Oestrobleus (with Hesikhaeia a daughter of King Thespius) *Olynthus (with Bolbe) *Olympus (with Euboea a daughter of King Thespius) *Palaemon (with Iphinoe daughter of Antaeus) *Pallas (with Dyna) *Pallas (with Lavinia, daughter of Evander) *Pandaie (with an unknown consort) *Patroklus (with Pyrippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Phalius (with Helikones a daughter of King Thespius) *Polylaus (with Eurybia a daughter of King Thespius) *Promachus (with Prophis a daughter of Xanthus or Eryx) *Rhopalus (with unknown woman) *Scythes(with the monster Echidna) *Sophax (with Tinge, wife of Antaeus) *Telephus (with Auge sister of Kepheus of King Tegea) *Teles (with Lysidike a daughter of King Thespius) *Teleutagores (with Eurykas a daughter of King Thespius) *Therimakhus (with Herakles' first wife Megara a daughter of King Kreon of Thebes) *Threpsippas (with Panope a daughter of King Thespius) *Thestalus (with Epikaste the daughter of Augeus) *Thettalus with Khalkiope (daughter of *Tigasis (with Phyleis a daughter of King Thespius) *Tlepolemus (with with either Astyoche daughter of Phylas) *Unknown son (with Palantia (daughter of Evander) *Unnamed serpent with Pyrene (daughter of King Bebrycius) Gallery of Heracles M19.5Nemeian.jpg M19.6Nemeian.jpg M19.2Nemeian.jpg M19.1Nemeian.jpg MGObuzEI-MuapdNQnDGw1cQ.jpg HydraLouvreCA7318.jpg 800px-Hercules slaying the Hydra.jpg HydraZurbaran.jpg Hercules and the Lernaean Hydra ca 1876.jpg Z26.1BHydra.jpg M13.3Hydra-Red Krater.jpg Hydra2.jpg Hydra 3.jpg Hydra 1.png Hydra.jpg Cerynitian hind.jpg Z26.1GLeon.jpg HeraklesSA1557.jpg HeraklesLionE812.jpg HeraklesF167.jpg HeraklesKerberosF204.jpg HeraklesAmazonsLouvreF218.jpg HeraklesCHindLVF234bis.jpg Hekate cerberus herakles.jpg HERAKLES, ATLAS & THE HESPERIAN DRAKON.jpg Herakles and Kerberos.jpg Omphale heracles.jpg T20.3Atlas.jpg MountTmolus Bozdag Turkey.jpg Navigation de:Herakles Category:Gods Category:Demigods Category:Males Category:Children of Zeus Category:Immortals Category:Deity Category:Deities Category:Heroes Category:Twins Category:Twelve Labors Category:Lovers of Heracles Category:Father Category:Fathers Category:Husbands Category:Husband